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| Geomungo | |
|---|---|
| Name | Geomungo |
| Background | String instrument |
| Classification | Board zither |
| Developed | Goguryeo / Goryeo |
| Related | Gayageum, Guzheng, Koto, Qin (instrument) |
Geomungo is a traditional Korean plucked zither associated with Goryeo and Joseon court music and Buddhism. It occupies a central role alongside instruments such as the gayageum, daegeum, piri, haegeum, and janggu within ensembles for Aak, Hyangak, and Dangak. The instrument features in the cultural records of rulers like King Gwangjong and appears in paintings commissioned by figures such as Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok.
The instrument developed during the early medieval period in the Korean peninsula under states including Goguryeo, Silla, and Balhae, later codified in Goryeo court rites and refined during Joseon. Early chronicles like the Samguk Sagi and Goryeo-sa reference plucked zithers used in court and temple contexts alongside imports from Tang dynasty China such as the guzheng and qin (instrument). Throughout the Imjin War era and the Japanese colonial period the instrument and its repertoire encountered suppression and revival efforts led by scholars linked to Nationalist movements and cultural preservationists including Shin Chae-ho and collectors associated with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. Post-1945, pedagogy and repertoire were institutionalized at organizations like Seoul National University, National Gugak Center, and regional conservatories informed by musicologists such as Choi Sun-u and performers tied to the Joseon dynasty court music revival.
The instrument is built from woods historically sourced from regions governed by dynasties such as Goryeo and Joseon, echoing materials used for the gayageum and guzheng. Its construction employs hardwoods and lacquer techniques comparable to those used for the koto and biwa in neighboring cultures like Japan and China. Components include movable bridges resembling those on the guzheng, silk or modern nylon strings akin to adaptations seen on the pipa and erhu. Luthiers trained in traditions linked to institutions such as the National Gugak Center and craft guilds in Seoul and Gyeongju combine carpentry methods recorded in manuals paralleling those compiled under patrons like King Sejong.
Tuning systems draw on modal frameworks employed in Hyangak and Dangak repertoires and align with pitch concepts referenced in the Aak tradition. Players trained in conservatories affiliated with Seoul National University and Korea National University of Arts tune strings to modes used in pieces transmitted by lineages descending from court musicians patronized by figures like King Jeongjo. Performance technique integrates right-hand plucking comparable to techniques on the guzheng and left-hand pressing similar to methods on the gayageum; finger picks and bamboo plectra parallel tools used by artists documented in ethnographies by scholars such as Han Kyung-il. Ensembles pairing the instrument with daegeum, piri, haegeum, and janggu execute rhythm cycles mapped to systems employed in Jongmyo Jeryeak and folk forms archived by collectors connected to projects sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Repertoire encompasses court suites, ritual pieces, and solo literature transmitted from courts of Goryeo and Joseon and preserved in collections curated by institutions like the National Gugak Center and academic archives at Kyung Hee University. Works performed include accompaniment for Jeongak and chamber music comparable to compositions in the gagok and linked to poetic forms promoted by literati such as Lee Yulgok and Yi Hwang. Contemporary composers from conservatories like Seoul National University and ensembles such as National Orchestra of Korea have expanded repertoire with cross-cultural projects involving artists from China, Japan, United States, and Europe, collaborating with composers associated with festivals like the Seoul Performing Arts Festival.
The instrument functions as a symbol in state rituals exemplified by performances of Jongmyo Jeryeak and ceremonies under royal patronage of rulers like King Sejong, expressing Confucian liturgy akin to Aak traditions. It appears iconographically in paintings by artists such as Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok and in literary references by scholars including Jeong Do-jeon. Revival movements in the twentieth century connected the instrument to narratives of national identity promoted by organizations like the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration and juxtaposed it with global heritage dialogues in forums convened by UNESCO.
Prominent performers and teachers include masters trained in lineages associated with court music archives, conservatories such as Seoul National University, and institutions including the National Gugak Center and Korea National University of Arts. Historical figures and modern exponents connected to pedagogical schools have collaborated with ensembles like the National Orchestra of Korea and artists in international exchanges involving institutions such as Juilliard School, Royal Academy of Music, and festivals like the Edinburgh International Festival. Scholarly figures who documented technique and repertoire include ethnomusicologists affiliated with Kyung Hee University, Yonsei University, and cultural heritage projects under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Category:Korean musical instruments